AN Okehampton charity faces closure in the New Year if it cannot find four dedicated volunteers to carry on its groundbreaking work. Age Concern is calling for new trustees as it desperately tries to meet the increasing requests for help from older people in the area and build a new future. Chief officer Barrie Duke said: ?It?s a serious problem because legally we?ve got to have trustees to continue. ?A lot of people seem to think that it?s an onerous job with so many responsibilities, but it?s not really. We just need people who will say ?yes, I?ll help you out??.? Mr Duke said the organisation, which is run completely by volunteers, is facing the biggest challenge in its history as the needs of older people continue both to increase and change dramatically in the area. The Okehampton centre, which offers wireless internet connection and advice on getting online at home, played host to Silver Surfers week last week. Mr Duke said the charity?s role was changing as more and more elderly people saw the web as a way of keeping in touch in a rural area. He said: ?Where we used to provide day care for frail and elderly people, we are now asked for help with computers and surfing the internet. ?Once, we used to provide local transport, now we produce organic fruit and vegetables. Requests for advice by phone, email and from the website have overtaken callers into the centre in Okehampton. ?In the past year we have overcome many problems in changing the way we do things and what we do. ?We have renewed some of the cyber café equipment to enhance our computer training sessions and computerised our administration and reporting. ?We have done away with the drudgery of many administrative tasks both saving a lot of time and paper. Now we have a telephone help desk for information and advice. ?Whilst many smaller charities are facing closure due to an increasing difficulty in finding grants, this organisation has seen local donations increase but cannot continue unless four new trustees are found. ?Just when many services are disappearing from the countryside and older people are facing greater isolation, this charity is still struggling to survive.? The Okehampton centre, which has a charity shop attached, provides support to people across an 800 square mile area, dealing with about 500 requests for help every year, as well as being a much needed point of social contact for many elderly people, both in the centre itself and in the virtual world of the charity?s website. Mr Duke said he often represents the local Age Concern organisation at a national level, and fears that this input too would be lost if trustees cannot be found. He said the Charities Commission was happy for people to become ?trainee trustees? for a year. Trustees have to be over the age of 18 but do not have to be, or feel, old themselves. More information can be obtained from Age Concern by calling in at the centre at 2 Crediton Road, Okehampton, ringing them on 01837 55838, emailing [email protected]">[email protected] or completing the form on the website address http://www.acot.org.uk">www.acot.org.uk
